Naoya Kikuchi

Naoya Kikuchi
Personal information
Full name Naoya Kikuchi
Date of birth (1984-11-24) November 24, 1984
Place of birth Shimizu, Shizuoka, Japan
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 12 in)
Playing position Defensive midfielder / Defender
Club information
Current team
Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
Number 15
Youth career
1997–1999 Shimizu S-Pulse
2000–2002 Shimizu Commercial High School
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Júbilo Iwata 79 (5)
2005Albirex Niigata (loan) 15 (1)
2008–2009 Carl Zeiss Jena 20 (0)
2009–2010 Oita Trinita 45 (0)
2011–2013 Albirex Niigata 45 (1)
2013–2016 Sagan Tosu 71 (0)
2016– Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo
National team
2001–2002 Japan U-17
2003 Japan U-20 5 (0)
2004 Japan U-23
2010[1] Japan 1 (0)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 March 2015.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of January 28, 2011

Naoya Kikuchi (菊地 直哉 Kikuchi Naoya, born November 24, 1984 in Shimizu, Shizuoka) is a professional Japanese footballer currently playing for Hokkaido Consadole Sapporo.

Kikuchi is naturally a central midfielder, but is also able to operate as a central defender and a left back.

Club career

Kikuchi played for the Shimizu S-Pulse junior youth team and Shimizu Commercial High School, which has a strong soccer tradition with players such as Shinji Ono among its alumni. After graduating the school, he joined Júbilo Iwata and briefly loaned to Albirex Niigata. In 2002, he was invited to have a try-out at Arsenal F.C. and later went on to have another trial with a Dutch team, Feyenoord.[2][3]

On June 13, 2007, Kikuchi was arrested in Hamamatsu city for the charge of a statutory rape on a 15-year-old high school student.[4] He was suspended on indictment and released some days later. On June 29, 2007, he was sacked by the club after the scandal.[5] The Japan Football Association imposed one-year suspension on him.[6] After performing voluntary community service for some months, he moved to Germany and joined FC Carl Zeiss Jena.

In summer 2009, Kikuchi left FC Carl Zeiss Jena and joined another German club, FC Schalke 04, on trial and signed on July 27, 2009, for Oita Trinita.

In the winter of 2010, Kikuchi transferred from Oita to Albirex Niigata.

International career

He was part of the 2004 Olympic football team for Japan that exited the tournament in the first round, having finished last in group B behind the teams from Paraguay, Italy, and Ghana. He also had an impressive World U-17 Championship tournament in 2001. He capped for Japan U-20 team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship.

He made his full international debut for Japan on January 6, 2010 in a 2011 AFC Asian Cup qualifier against Yemen.[1]

Club team career statistics

Last update: 1 March 2015[7]

Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
2003Júbilo IwataJ. League703020120
2004181505020301
2005901140141
Albirex Niigata15120171
2006Júbilo Iwata3233080433
200713140171
Germany League DFB-Pokal Other Europe Total
2007–08Carl Zeiss Jena2. Bundesliga301040
2008–093. Liga17010180
Japan League Emperor's Cup League Cup Asia Total
2009Oita TrinitaJ. League10020120
2010J. League 235010360
2011Albirex NiigataJ. League2302031281
20121811040231
2013403070
Sagan Tosu15050200
20142103030270
201500000000
Career total 2407290332603089

References

  1. 1 2 "KIKUCHI Naoya". Japan National Football Team Database. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
  2. Seery, Philip. "Gunners eye Japan starlet". Sky Sports. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
  3. "Feyenoord target Japanese teen". The World Game. February 13, 2008. Retrieved December 16, 2012.
  4. 元磐田の菊地氏がドイツで練習参加 (in Japanese). Nikkan Sport. September 19, 2007. Archived from the original on September 29, 2007.
  5. "Jubilo scrap Kikuchi's deal". yomiuri.co.jp.
  6. ジュビロ磐田 菊地 直哉 選手による違反行為に関する本協会裁定委員会の処分案 (PDF) (in Japanese). Japan Football Association. June 5, 2007. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
  7. "Stats Centre: Naoya Kikuchi Facts". Guardian.co.uk. Retrieved February 11, 2010.
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